After nine seasons as a Carolina Panther, it appears tight end Greg Olsen has found a new home. There were some lingering doubts that Olsen would retire after the 2019 season.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, three-time Pro Bowler, Greg Olsen, has agreed to a one year, $7 million contracts with$5.5 million guaranteed with the Seattle Seahawks. Olsen also considered the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins but felt most comfortable joining Seahawks.
The former Chicago Bear has caught a career 718 passes, 8,444 yards, and 59 touchdowns in his 13-year career. The new addition to Seattle means another target Russell Wilson has on the field. The former Super Bowl champion now has Olsen, Tyler Lockett and rookie standout D.K. Metcalf as his offensive targets. In 2019, Lockett surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career while Metcalf achieved 900 yards.
It was believed that the Seahawks found their new tight end when they selected Will Dissly in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Dissly has the potential to become a breakout tight end due to his size and stability.
In two seasons, Dissly caught six touchdowns for 418 yards. Those aren’t exciting numbers, but he was a favorite for Wilson down the field. However, a season-ending injury to his Achilles derailed things for the Wilson and co. Luke Wilson will be headed for free agency this march. But, there’s no doubt that Wilson loves his tight ends.
During the Seahawks run to Super Bowl XLVIII, the offense deployed Luke Wilson, Zach Miller, and Kellen Davis. Despite the depth, the last time Wilson had a great option at tight end was Jimmy Graham. In three seasons with Seattle, Graham caught 18 touchdowns for 2,048 yards. His lone playoff appearance with the Seahawks was in 2016. In two games, Graham caught one touchdown for 59-yards.
As mentioned before, Olsen had clear connections with Buffalo and Washington. Instead of reuniting with Sean McDermott or his former Panthers coach, Ron Rivera, Olsen will be coached by Pete Carroll.
With the new addition to the Seahawks, it’s a significant upgrade for the offense. Seattle will be battling against both the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams appeared in the past two Super Bowls, losing to the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs.